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"The Masonic Lodge and the Christian Conscience" (an article from
the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1994, page 20) by John
Weldon.
The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is
Elliot Miller.
-------------
*Summary*
The Masonic Lodge in America is a highly influential
organization claiming some four million members. Masonic leaders
argue the lodge is not a religion but merely a fraternal body that
seeks to better society and also assist the Christian church. It
does this, they claim, by helping Christians become better members
of their own faith.
The truth is that Masonry is a distinct religion that espouses
teachings incompatible with Christian faith in the areas of God,
salvation, and other important doctrines. It is therefore
inconsistent for any Christian to swear the oaths of Masonry to
uphold and support the Lodge when Masonry's own ritual, doctrines,
and impact in history have denied and opposed biblical teaching.
This is so despite the 1993 recommendation of the Southern
Baptists at their annual convention that membership in the Lodge
can be left to the Christian's individual conscience.
------------------
"Because of your support, the vote of the Southern Baptist
Convention is a historic and positive turning point for
Freemasonry. Basically, it is a vitalization of our Fraternity by
America's largest Protestant denomination after nearly a year of
thorough, scholarly study. At the same time, it is a call to
renewed effort on the part of all Freemasons today to re-energize
our Fraternity and move forward to fulfilling its mission as the
world's foremost proponent of Brotherhood of Man under the
Fatherhood of God." _The Scottish Rite Journal,_ Aug. 1993.
Millions of men throughout the world, including four million
Americans, look to the Masonic Lodge for brotherhood and
fellowship. They are proud to be part of an organization that
engages itself in worthwhile causes, such as children's hospitals.
Many of them feel strongly about the Masonic tenets of the
Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the immortality of
the soul.
Masonry (or Freemasonry) claims to be the friend of
Christianity, and yet it contains doctrines that are contrary to
biblical teaching. As unpleasant as it may be, it is the obligation
of the discerning Christian to point this out, both for the sake of
the hundreds of thousands of Christian Masons and for those who
might yet become Masons.
The relationship of Masonry to Christian faith has been
controversial for at least 200 years, and over that period the
different sides have attempted to defend their positions to the
best of their abilities. Therefore, confusion often befalls the
layperson who must carefully wade through the arguments on both
sides before he or she can hope to resolve the issue responsibly.
While this article cannot relieve such laypeople of the task of
discerning the matter, its purpose is to provide them with a strong
yet concise presentation of the case against Christian involvement
with Masonry. (Further documentation and analysis of the claims and
arguments of Masonry can be found in _Bowing at Strange Altars_ [an
evaluation of the Southern Baptist Study on Masonry] and _The
Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge: A Christian Appraisal,_ both
of which I coauthored with Dr. John Ankerberg. I urge interested
readers to secure these volumes for further study in dealing with
this issue. This article is primarily excerpted, with some changes,
from _Bowing at Strange Altars._)
This article was planned for the JOURNAL long before
controversial publications on Masonry were released by the Southern
Baptists. However, because the Southern Baptist publications bring
all of the concerns I intended to address into sharp focus, and
because they are of significant contemporary concern, they will
play an important role in my evaluation of Masonry.
*MASONRY AND THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS*
A committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest
Protestant denomination in America, concluded in its two 1993
publications, _A Study of Freemasonry_ (hereafter _Study_) and _A
Report on Freemasonry_ (hereafter _Report_) -- and at its annual
convention the same year -- that it cannot frankly state it is
wrong for a Christian to join the Masonic Lodge.[1] In so doing the
Southern Baptists are perhaps the only conservative Christian
denomination in America not to warn their constituents that
membership in the Masonic Lodge is not compatible with biblical
teaching.
In the coming years many other churches and denominations will
face the question of whether their members should participate in
the Masonic Lodge. What happened in the Southern Baptist
Convention's examination of Masonry points to the necessity for
churches and denominations examining this subject to carefully
select their investigative committees. Such committees should be
composed of individuals who not only accept the authority and
inerrancy of Scripture, but who will also not uncritically accept
Masonic claims of compatibility with Christianity or be influenced
by political pressures -- as was true for the Southern Baptists.[2]
In its six-page _Report,_ the Baptist Home Mission Board listed
numerous reasons why it is wrong for a Christian to be a member of
the Masonic Lodge. For example, it cited several illustrations from
the first three degrees of Masonry (the Blue Lodge degrees)
concerning the taking of bloody oaths by the Masonic initiate. It
warned, "Even though these oaths, obligations and rituals may or
may not be taken seriously by the initiate, it is _inappropriate_
for a Christian to 'sincerely promise and swear,' with the hand on
the Holy Bible, any such promises or oaths, or _to participate_ in
any such pagan rituals" (emphases added).[3] The _Report_ also
stated, "Many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not
compatible with Christianity and Southern Baptist doctrine...," and
again cited examples such as the teachings of salvation by personal
character/good works and the doctrine of universalism.[4]
In fact, both the _Study_ and the _Report_ offered solid
reasons why Masonry and Christianity are incompatible and why
Christians shouldn't participate in the Lodge. But then,
illogically, they gave the contradictory advice that membership in
a Masonic Order should be a matter of personal conscience. In what
follows I demonstrate the problems with this conclusion.
*MASONRY AND SALVATION*
It is my contention that the Masonic ritual (i.e., Masonry's
ceremonial rites of initiation that all Masons must pass through)
of the First, Second, and Third Degrees teach all Masons exactly
what God condemns as a false gospel, namely that a person is saved
and goes to heaven as a result of his or her personal character and
good works. As all Christians know, the Bible places such a
teaching under God's curse. Paul said in Galatians 1:8-9: "But even
though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel
contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be
accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is
preaching to you a gospel contrary to that we have preached to you,
let him be accursed." The Bible clearly teaches how a man is saved:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that
no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9. Cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; Rom.
3:28-4:6; 11:6).
Proof of Masonry's false gospel can be found in standard
"Monitors" -- the official textbooks containing authoritative
Masonic ritual which are more or less uniform for each state. In
the ritual, the Masonic symbol of the lambskin or white leather
apron is explained, in part, to each candidate as follows: "The
lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence; he,
therefore, who wears the lambskin as a badge of Masonry, is thereby
_continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct, which is
essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial
Lodge Above,_ where the Supreme Architect of the Universe [God]
presides (emphasis added).[5]"
Please keep in mind that the instruction concerning the
lambskin can be found in the Ritual book of all the Lodges in all
50 states. _None_ exclude it, although it may be placed in
different rituals in the manuals of different states.
When a Mason is told that his purity of life and conduct is
necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above
(i.e., heaven), how can anyone deny that Masonry is teaching
another way of salvation than what the Bible teaches? How can
anyone deny that this is a _works_ gospel?
In the Second Degree (the Fellow Craft Degree) and elsewhere
the candidate is instructed further in the importance of the
lambskin as follows: "You are to wear it as an emblem of that
_purity of heart and conscience that is necessary to obtain for you
the approval of the Grand Architect of the Universe"_ (emphasis
added).[6] Moreover, as even some Masonic authorities have
admitted, Masonry has, in all, some 40 degrees implying or teaching
its candidates salvation by personal merit.[7]
What did the Southern Baptist _Report_ conclude on this issue?
The Committee that engaged in the study agreed that such teachings
were "not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist
doctrine."[8] The _Report_ likewise concluded that Masonic writings
and rituals imply that "salvation may be attained by one's good
works," and therefore that some "Masons...may be led to believe
they can earn salvation by living a pure life with good
conduct."[9] In addition, the _Study_ confessed that Masons "insist
the lambskin [i.e., lambskin apron, used in Masonic ritual] does
not bring salvation, but rather, _'the purity of life' it
symbolizes brings salvation"_ (emphasis added).[10]
The Committee stated that there was "the prevalent use of the
term [Masonic] 'light,' which some may understand as a reference to
salvation rather than knowledge or truth."[11] The _Report_ further
conceded that "the heresy of universalism (the belief that all
people will eventually be saved), which permeates the writings of
many Masonic authors...is a doctrine inconsistent with New
Testament teaching."[12]
In its mention of former Mason Jack Harris, the _Study_ noted
that "Harris was _typical_ of other Masons _who hope Freemasonry
will take them to heaven"_ (emphasis added).[13] Here it is
acknowledged that Masons can indeed believe that Masonry alone is
sufficient for salvation.
But Masonry also teaches that individuals may be saved by being
good members of their respective religions -- whether Hindu,
Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or other. For example, Dr. Jim Tresner,
director of the Masonic Leadership Institute, affirmed that Masonry
"leaves the member to devote himself to his own religious faith to
receive...salvation."[14]
In light of the above confessions I am perplexed. In 1992 the
Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution entitled, "On
Christian Witness and Voluntary Associations," encouraging
Christians everywhere to (1) "maintain Christian witness _openly_
before the world"; (2) avoid "_any association which conflicts with
clear biblical teaching_"; and (3) "affirm that biblical doctrine
is to be open and public knowledge and that the Christian faith is
to be a clear and public expression of the truth _that Jesus Christ
is the only means of salvation,_ that _the Bible_ is our infallible
guide..." (emphases added).[15]
By stating such confessions and conclusions in its resolution
in 1992, the SBC had effectively _prohibited_ Christians from
joining the Masonic Lodge. In light of these admonitions to
Christians everywhere, how can the Home Mission Board and the
Southern Baptist Convention a year later conclude that Freemasonry
does _not_ ultimately oppose Christian doctrine and that individual
Christians are _free_ to join the Masonic Lodge?[16]
*THE MASONIC GOD*
During the ritual, Masonry has its candidates swear that they
believe in God, typically called the "Great Architect of the
Universe." It also informs them that all Masons are to bow before
the sacred name of Deity, and explains that all Masons of every
country, religion, and opinion are united in the belief that they
have been created by one Almighty Parent. The question is, Is this
Almighty Parent or Great Architect -- the God of the Masonic Lodge
-- also the God of the Bible? The answer is clearly _no._
In the "Masonic Bible," published by the A. J. Holman Press, we
are told this "Almighty Parent" is the one true God that all men
worship. This is so regardless of the name by which He is
identified: Jehovah, Krishna, Buddha, Allah, or some other.
The Masonic Bible is actually the King James Version bound with
a special cover stamped with the Masonic insignia. In the front of
this Bible there is a lengthy preface made up of articles
concerning Masonry and the Bible. One of these articles is
entitled, "The Great Light in Masonry," written by Masonic
authority Joseph Fort Newton, who states: "For Masonry knows, what
so many forget, that religions are many, but religion is
one...therefore, _it [Masonry] invites to its altar men of all
faiths, knowing that, if they use different names for 'the nameless
one of a hundred names,' they are yet praying to the one God and
Father of all"_ (emphasis added).[17]
But when a Hindu prays to Vishnu or Shiva, is he really praying
to Jesus? When a Muslim prays to Allah, is she really praying to
Jehovah? When Buddhists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons pray, are
they really praying to the same God the Christian prays to? The
answer is _no,_ because all these concepts of God are opposed to
the concept of God as revealed in the Bible.[18]
Another Masonic authority, Carl H. Claudy, writes:
[The Mason] must declare his faith in a Supreme Being
before he may be initiated. But note that he is not
required to say, then or ever, _what_ God. He may name
him as he will, think of him as he pleases; make him
impersonal law or personal and anthropomorphic;
Freemasonry cares not..._God, Great Architect of the
Universe, Grand Artificer, Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge Above, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Vishnu, Shiva, or
Great Geometer_ (emphases added).[19]
And,
Masonry does not specify any God of any creed; she
requires merely that you believe in some Deity, give him
what name you will....A belief in God is essential to a
Mason, but..._any God will do,_ so [long as] he is your
God (emphasis added).[20]
Masonry thus argues that all people of varying faiths are
really praying to the one true God, the universal Father of
humankind, regardless of the name they give him. Nevertheless, this
"Almighty Parent" of Masonry is a different God than Christianity
teaches -- a fact conceded by both Masonic sympathizers as well as
Masons themselves. The Baptist _Study_ agreed that the Great
Architect of Masonry is not the Jehovah of the Bible: "The Masonic
Great Architect of the Universe appears more like the Aristotelian
'First Cause' than the personal God who has revealed Himself in the
Bible."[21]
In his encyclopedia on Masonry, Masonic authority Henry Wilson
Coil refers to the biblical God as "a partisan, tribal God" and
implies that such a God-concept is far inferior to the God of
Masonry, which is
a boundless, eternal, universal, undenominational, and
international, Divine Spirit, so vastly removed from the
speck called man, that He cannot be known, named, or
approached. So soon as man begins to laud his God and
endow him with the most perfect human attributes, such as
justice, mercy, beneficence, etc., the Divine essence is
depreciated and despoiled....The Masonic test [for
membership] is a Supreme Being, and _any qualification
added_ is an innovation and distortion (emphasis
added).[22]
Coil even admits that "monotheism... _violates_ Masonic
principles, for it requires belief in a specific kind of Supreme
Deity" (emphasis added).[23] Of course, at this point Coil has just
excluded the God of biblical teaching and Christian faith for being
too specific _despite_ the fact that he has ascribed a _specific_
doctrine of God (eternal, unknowable, etc.) to Masonry.
Masonic authority[24] Albert Pike also denies the biblical God.
He argues that "if our conceptions of God are those of the
ignorant, narrow-minded, and vindictive Israelite...we feel that it
is an affront and an indignity to [God]...."[25] Anyone who has
ever read what Albert Pike and other Masons have taught about God
in the higher degrees of Masonry knows that the God of Masonry has
nothing whatever to do with the God of the Bible.[26] For example,
Pike categorized the God of Scripture as a false god and an idol
when he wrote that "_every religion and every conception of God is
idolatrous,_ insofar as it is imperfect, and as it substitutes a
feeble and temporary idea in the shrine of that Undiscoverable
Being [of Masonry]..." (emphasis added).[27]
If Masonry rejects the God of Christianity, however, how can it
logically claim to be the true friend of Christian faith? Further,
if it offers an unknowable, unapproachable, and undiscoverable God
beyond the different concepts of God found in other religions, how
can it appropriately or logically ask the men of those religions to
join its local lodges?
Masonry does this because it seeks to develop a worldwide
religious brotherhood _beyond_ the sectarian religious beliefs of
humankind. To further this goal it must, at one level, accept all
religions, while simultaneously pointing and leading to a "higher"
truth beyond separatist religion -- a truth that is capable of
uniting all men in a common universal brotherhood, that is, the
fraternity of Masonry.
Masonry therefore encourages all members of different religions
to pray to and worship their own respective gods: Brahma, Krishna,
Allah, Buddha, Jehovah, Vishnu, Jesus, and so forth. This is the
means by which Masonry can appeal to the members of all the
different religions in the world and attempt to unite them in a
universal "common brotherhood."
But then Masons cannot possibly all be praying to the _same_
God because all these gods are different in nature and in what they
expect of humans (if they expect anything). In other words, the
Masonic doctrine of the spiritual "Fatherhood of God and
Brotherhood of man" is only valid if there is some _larger_ God
beyond the contradictory lesser gods that people worship.
On the one hand Masonry claims it is an organization of
tolerance that accepts the different religions of all people; on
the other hand, it offers a supreme God that is supposedly the one
true God that all people are really praying to, who is beyond the
inferior, primitive concepts of individual religion -- whether
Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, or any other.[28]
At whatever level Masonry approaches God, however, its theology
presents irresolvable conflicts for the Christian. If the Christian
God is merely an inferior and false concept, then Masonry denies
that the God of the Bible is the one true God. Further, if Masonry
points Christians to an unknowable "Almighty Parent" beyond all
religion, then it encourages Masons to worship a _false_ god, and
this is idolatry. This violates the first commandment in which God
warned His people, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (_see_
Exod. 20:4-6; Deut. 13:1-5).
Even at a surface level Masonry actively encourages idolatry.
The Baptist _Study,_ for example, cites _The Freemasons' Diary_ as
setting "this priority for a Mason concerning his faith and
religious practice: a Freemason is encouraged to do his duty first
to his God (_by whatever name he is known_) through his faith and
religious practice..." (emphasis added).[29]
To encourage Masons to do their religious duty to their various
gods is to encourage the Muslim Mason to worship and serve _Allah;_
the Hindu Mason to worship and serve _Brahma, Vishnu,_ and _Shiva;_
the Buddhist Mason to worship _Buddha_ and various Buddhist
deities; the Mormon Mason to worship Mormonism's own gods; and the
pagan Mason to worship any variety of additional gods. This is
unacceptable for the Christian in that it promotes spiritual
deception under the guise of alleged spiritual brotherhood.
Jesus emphasized, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know
you, _the only true God,_ and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent"
(John 17:3). God Himself declares, "I, even I, am the Lord; and
there is no savior besides Me....I am the Lord and there is no
other; besides Me there is no God" (Isa. 43:11; 45:5). Jesus also
emphasized that "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must
worship Him in spirit _and truth"_ (John 4:24). How, then, can
Christian Masons logically join and swear allegiance to actively
support Masonry when it encourages people to believe in false gods
and to deny the truth that God has revealed in the Bible?
*MASONRY AND PAGAN RELIGION*
The previously mentioned 1992 SBC resolution that encompassed
Freemasonry stated: "Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge all
Southern Baptists to refrain from participation or membership in
organizations with teachings, oaths, or mystical knowledge which
are contrary to the Bible and to the public expression of our faith
in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which must be above all
reproach."[30] Further, the _Study of Freemasonry_ submitted to the
Baptist Home Mission Board conceded that "a Christian Mason who
takes the higher degrees of the Scottish Rite will be exposed to
beliefs and practices quite different from his own. For example,
the candidate is introduced to Egyptian deities Osiris, Isis,
Horus, and Amun; to Scandinavian deities Odin, Frea, and Thor; to
Hindu, Greek, and Persian deities; and to Jewish Kabbalism [i.e.,
occultism]...._It cannot be denied that some of the religions
studied in these degrees are pagan and that their teachings are
totally incompatible with Christianity"_ (emphasis added).[31]
The _Report on Freemasonry_ concluded that paganism is not only
found in Masonic rituals, but it also discovered paganism in many
readings that Masonry encourages its initiates to pursue: "[Many
of] the recommended readings, in pursuance of advanced degrees, of
religions and philosophies..._are undeniably pagan and/or
occult..."_ (emphasis added).[32] Among those mentioned are the
writings of Masonic authorities or authors Albert Pike, Albert
Mackey, Manley Hall, Rex Hutchins, and W. L. Wilmshurst.
Even some official Masonic Monitors encourage paganism. The
Texas _Monitor,_ for example, tells us:
These [aspects and teachings of Masonry] were practiced
from remote ages, in ancient temples of many
nations....The most learned among Masonic
scholars...conclude that Masonry is of very ancient
origin, and is, in some aspects, the modern successor of,
and heir to, the sublime Mysteries of the Temple of
Solomon, and of the Temples of India, Chaldea, Egypt,
Greece, and Rome, as well as the basic doctrine of the
Essenes, Gnostics and other mystic Orders.[33]
Because the Texas _Monitor_ argues that Masonry is related to
ancient paganism, it advises that
every candidate for the Mysteries of Masonry, at the
proper time and in an appropriate manner, should be
taught the truth that the _rite of Initiation_ means much
more than a formal ceremonial progress through the
Degrees...._Initiation_ is to be attained only after real
labor, deep study, profound meditation, extensive
research and a constant practice of those virtues which
will open a true path to moral, intellectual, and
spiritual illumination.[34]
In other words, the Texas _Monitor_ itself maintains that the
initiate is to be informed as to and/or practiced in the deeper
pagan meanings of the Masonic Ritual.
*JESUS CHRIST*
The Baptist _Study_ comments, _"it is not true_ that
Freemasonry ignores or denies Jesus Christ" (emphasis added).[35]
The _Study_ nevertheless admits that "Freemasonry today does not
see Jesus as the unique Son of God and Savior of the world."[36]
The Masonic Ritual of the First, Second, and Third Degrees
never instructs its members that Jesus is the only mediator between
God and men. It never tells them they can't truthfully call God
their Father until they have a relationship with His Son. It
doesn't tell initiates that they can't build their spiritual house
until they ask Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and build
it for them. No Mason is ever told officially that a man can never
do enough good deeds or live a pure enough life to gain admission
into the Celestial Lodge Above, or that entrance into heaven comes
only by faith in Jesus Christ. The truth is that by its ritual,
teachings, and prayers, Masonry _does_ ignore and deny Jesus
Christ.[37]
*IS MASONRY A RELIGION?*
One of the key issues in this discussion is whether or not
Masonry is a religion.[38] The Baptist _Study_ concluded: "Strong
feelings have been expressed on both sides of this difficult
issue...._the overwhelming majority of Masons reject the idea that
Freemasonry is a religion._ The various monitors of the Grand
Lodges and statements from the overwhelming majority of Masonic
leaders in the past and today _deny that Freemasonry is a
religion"_(emphases added).[39]
No one denies that the vast majority of Masons _say_ Masonry is
not a religion, but one must go beyond mere claims. For example,
virtually all Mormons _claim_ their religion is Christian, which is
demonstrably false.[40]
Masonry claims it has the _qualities_ of a religion but is
still not a religion; or that it is _religious_ but still not a
religion. However, the latter point makes as much sense (as even
Coil pointed out) as to say that a man has no intellect but is
intellectual, or that he has no honor but is honorable. _Religious_
is defined as "imbued with or adhering to religion or a
religion."[41]
While it is possible for an organization to have a religious
quality and yet not be a religion -- such as Christian groups that
specialize in missions or research and have daily periods of
prayer, Masonry is more than this. The religious quality of
Christian organizations is based on Christianity while the
religious quality of Masonry is based on Masonry itself, which
qualifies it as a religion.
The _Study_ wrongly concluded that Masonry is not a religion.
Nevertheless it was forced to confess that "many men make the Lodge
their religion."[42]
The major issue in determining whether Masonry is a religion is
to look at its demands on the candidate. Masonry _requires_ the
candidate to believe in God, obey Him, worship Him, seek His
guidance, and so forth, which qualifies it as a religion. And, as
I have already documented, Masonry claims its members will earn
admittance to heaven based on personal character and good works.
This also classifies the Lodge as a religion. In fact, any standard
dictionary or encyclopedia definition of religion proves beyond
doubt that Masonry is a religion.[43] Dr. Shildes Johnson is only
one of many scholars of comparative religion who have concluded: "A
comparison of the moral, allegorical, and symbolic teachings of
Freemasonry with these definitions of a religion reveals that the
lodge is a theistic, non-Christian, man-centered, and universal
religion."[44]
All this is why numerous leading Masonic authorities have
publicly confessed that Masonry _is,_ in fact, a religion. For
example:
_Albert G. Mackey:_ "The religion of Masonry is cosmopolitan,
universal...."[45]
_Henry Wilson Coil:_ "Religion is espoused by the Masonic
Ritual and required of the candidate"; and, "Freemasonry is
undoubtedly religion"; and, "Many Freemasons make this flight [to
heaven] with no other guarantee of a safe landing than their belief
in _the religion_ of Freemasonry" (emphasis added).[46]
_Albert Pike:_ "Masonry...is the universal, eternal, immutable
religion...."[47]
_Joseph Fort Newton:_ "Everything in Masonry has reference to
God, implies God, speaks of God, points and leads to God. Not a
degree, not a symbol, not an obligation, not a lecture, not a
charge but finds its meaning and derives its beauty from God the
Great Architect, in whose temple all Masons are workmen."[48]
Doesn't all this constitute evidence that Masonry is a
religion? Yet the _Study_ of the Southern Baptist Home Mission
Board concluded it is not a religion.[49]
The Baptist _Study_ offered a number of reasons to allegedly
substantiate its claim that Masonry is not a religion. For example,
it points out that in a 1921 decision the Supreme Court of Nebraska
ruled that Freemasonry is not a religion. But all this means is
that the Supreme Court of Nebraska was wrong. State Supreme Courts
and even the Supreme Court of the United States have frequently
been wrong, as can be proven by the number of opinion reversals
enacted by those bodies. The United States Supreme Court has
reversed itself no less than 200 times in its history. These are
admissions of error.
The _Study_ next cites the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of
America. It points out that not all Scouts are Christians. Yet
Christians may become members of the Scouts without worshipping the
gods of those in the Scouts who follow other religions, such as
Mormons and Hindus. "Baptist youth certainly do not worship the
physical god of Mormonism or the impersonal god of Hinduism, yet
they join with youth and leaders from these religions to earn
religious emblems. They have certain rituals that identify them as
Scouts anywhere in the world...."[50]
What if the Boy Scouts of America claimed it was not a religion
when it was? What if the Scouts had an agenda that they kept
hidden? What if the Scouts had their own plan of salvation? What if
the Scouts actively taught members that they could be saved and go
to heaven by good works? What if the Scouts had bloody oaths
requiring secrecy on pain of death?[51] Who would argue that
Christian youth should join such an organization?
Next, the _Study_ claims that those individuals who allow
Masonry to become their religion do so only because of their own
misinterpretation or misunderstanding of Masonry and (quoting a
Southern Baptist Mason) "not due to Masonic teaching."[52] In _The
Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge,_ however, John Ankerberg and
I devoted some 200 pages showing that the reason individuals _do_
make Masonry their religion _is_ "due to Masonic teaching."
Perhaps it is worth noting that of all the conservative
Christian bodies who have studied Masonry, I discovered almost
unanimous agreement among them that Masonry is a religion and that
Masonry and Christianity are not compatible.[53] The conclusion of
a Presbyterian report is only one of almost two dozen
denominational inquiries that concluded Masonry is a religion: "In
our study of Freemasonry's promotional literature, through personal
interviews with Masons, and by letters received from Masons, we
were told that Freemasonry is not a religion. _However, a close
scrutiny of the ritual of the lodge and books written by
authoritative Masons points to the contrary_...(emphasis
added).[54]
In its section on the position of other Christian denominations
relative to Masonry, even the Baptist _Study_ documents that
Masonry has been rejected by the Roman Catholic church, Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church in America, the Free
Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Greek Orthodox Church, the
Church of the Nazarene, the Church of the Brethren, the Orthodox
Presbyterian Church, the Assemblies of God, the Reformed
Presbyterian Church, "and other Christian denominations have also
taken positions against Freemasonry, or against secret societies
without mentioning Freemasonry."[55]
One must wonder, "Didn't this near-unanimous condemnation tell
Baptist committee members something?!" If Masonry and Christianity
are really compatible (as the Baptist _Study_ implies), and if
individual Christians can actually become Masons "in good
conscience," then why all the negative conclusions condemning
Masonry and urging Christians _not_ to join the Masonic Lodge from
all these widely varying Christian bodies?
The _Study_ acknowledges that "this issue has divided Baptists
for two centuries."[56] But _why_ has it divided Baptists for two
centuries? We think the reason is evident -- because the Baptist
tradition has never officially taken a position on Masonry, thereby
allowing individual Christians in every generation to be deceived
by its false claims. This would seem to explain why, as the _Study_
itself concedes, half a million Southern Baptists (at least) are
now Masons -- including many Southern Baptist pastors, ministers of
education, deacons, and directors of missions.[57] But even if
there were ten million Christians in the Lodge, this fact alone
would not justify Masonry. I can only agree with the conclusion of
the Presbyterian report and many others that say:
a) Joining Masonry requires "actions and vows out of accord
with Scripture."
b) "Participation in Masonry seriously compromises the
Christian faith and testimony."
c) "Membership in Masonry and activity in its Ritual lead to a
diluting of commitment to Christ and His kingdom."[58]
Certainly the Baptist stress on individual freedom of
conscience cannot be carried so far as to accept the right of
Christians to join the Mormon church or the Baha'i Faith. On what
basis, then, can the Southern Baptist Convention say it is
permissible for a Christian to join the Masonic Lodge? The issue is
not individual conscience. The issue is, Can Christianity and
Masonry be logically joined together without violation of
scriptural teaching and Christ's glory? If not, then the verdict of
each Christian's conscience must be to abstain from the Masonic
Lodge, and the obligation of each church body must be to proclaim
this basic incompatibility of Masonry and Christianity.
*NOTES*
1 In the text and endnotes, the term _Study_ refers to the 75-page
analysis, _A Study of Freemasonry_ (Atlanta, GA: Home Mission
Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993), available from
the Home Mission Board, SBC, 1350 Spring Street, N.W., Atlanta,
GA 30367-5601 (1-800-634-2462). The term _Report_ refers to the
six-page _A Report on Freemasonry,_ published by the Home
Mission Board, SBC, 17 March 1993.
2 _See_ John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _Bowing at Strange Altars_
(Chattanooga, TN: Ankerberg Theological Research Institute,
1993), 10-12.
3 _Report,_ 5.
4 _Ibid.,_ 5-6.
5 Code Revision Committee, _Masonic Manual of the Grand Lodge of
Georgia, Free and Accepted Masons,_ 10th ed. (n.p.: Grand Lodge
of the State of Georgia, 1983), 17.
6 Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Arkansas,
_Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow
Craft, and MasterMason_ (n.p.: Grand Lodge of Arkansas, 7th ed.,
1993), 17.
7 _See_ John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _The Secret Teachings of
the Masonic Lodge: A Christian Appraisal_ (Chicago: Moody Press,
1991), 86, cf. 78-92.
8 _Report,_ 4.
9 _Ibid.,_ 5-6.
10 _Study,_ 34.
11 _Report,_ 5.
12 _Ibid.,_ 6.
13 _Ibid.,_ 54.
14 Jim Tresner, "Conscience and the Craft," _The Scottish Rite
Journal,_ February 1993, 23.
15 _Study,_ 2-3.
16 _Ibid.,_ 70.
17 Joseph Fort Newton, "The Great Light in Masonry" (title of the
section containing: "The Words of a Great Masonic Divine: The
Bible and Freemasonry," in _The Holy Bible: The Great Light in
Masonry_ (Nashville: A. J. Holman, 1940), 3-4.
18 _See_ Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 194-95.
19 Carl H. Claudy, _Introduction to Freemasonry,_ vol. 2
(Washington: The Temple, 1984), 110.
20 Carl H. Claudy, "Belief in God," in "A Master's Wages," in
_Little Masonic Library,_ vol. 4 (Richmond: Macoy Publishing,
1977), 32.
21 _Study,_ 43.
22 Henry Wilson Coil, _Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia_ (New York:
Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply, 1961), 516-17.
23 _Ibid.,_ 517.
24 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Bowing,_ chs. 7, 9.
25 Albert Pike, _Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry_ (Charleston, SC: Supreme Council
of the 33rd Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United
States, 1927), 223.
26 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ chs. 8-9.
27 Pike, 516; cf. 226, 295-96.
28 Tresner, 18. _See_ also J. N. D. Anderson, _Christianity and
Comparative Religion_ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1977), 11-12.
29 _Study,_ 26.
30 _Ibid.,_ 3.
31 _Ibid.,_ 32.
32 _Report,_ 5.
33 Grand Lodge of Texas, _Monitor of the Lodge: Monitorial
Instructions in the Three Degrees of Symbolic Masonry_ (Waco,
TX: Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F.&A.M., 1982), xiii, xiv.
34 _Ibid.,_ xv, xvi.
35 _Study,_ 48. _See_ also Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret
Teachings,_ 126-29; Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney, _The Deadly
Deception: Freemasonry Exposed by One of Its Top Leaders_
(Lafayette, LA: Huntington House, 1988), 72.
36 _Study,_ 48-49.
37 For further information on Masonic views of Jesus Christ, _see_
Ankerberg and Weldon, _Bowing,_ ch. 4, and _Secret Teachings,_
ch. 10.
38 _Study,_ 23.
39 _Ibid.,_ 70.
40 _See,_ e.g., John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _Everything You
Ever Wanted to Know About Mormonism_ (Eugene, OR: Harvest House,
1991) for detailed documentation.
41 _Macmillan Dictionary for Students_ (1984), 842.
42 _Study,_ 26.
43 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 37-38.
44 Shildes Johnson, _Is Masonry a Religion?_ (Oakland, NJ:
Institute of Contemporary Christianity, 1978), 21.
45 Albert G. Mackey, _An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Its
Kindred Sciences,_ vol. 1 (Chicago: Masonic History Company,
1921), 301.
46 Coil, 512, 158; Henry Wilson Coil, _A Comprehensive View of
Freemasonry_ (Richmond: Macoy, 1973), 186.
47 Pike, 219.
48 Joseph Fort Newton, _The Religion of Masonry_ (Richmond: Macoy,
1969), 58-59.
49 _Study,_ 70.
50 _Ibid.,_ 26.
51 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ chs. 2, 13-16.
52 _Study,_ 26.
53 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 269-71; cf. ch. 16,
Epilogue; and James Holly, _The Southern Baptist Convention and
Freemasonry_ (Beaumont, TX: Mission and Ministry to Men, 1993),
ch. 3.
54 Minutes of the General Assembly, appendix R, The Report of the
Ad-Interim Committee to Study Freemasonry, 16th General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church in America, 6 June 1988, 466.
55 _Study,_ 63.
56 _Ibid.,_ 64.
57 _Ibid.,_ 64-65.
58 Presbyterian Report, 473.
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End of document, CRJ0168A.TXT (original CRI file name),
"The Masonic Lodge and the Christian Conscience"
release A, August 31, 1994
R. Poll, CRI
(A special note of thanks to Bob and Pat Hunter for their help in
the preparation of this ASCII file for BBS circulation.)
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